Source : ABC NEWS
Formula 1’s season opener in Melbourne is expected to go ahead without a hitch this weekend, after conflict in the Middle East forced a change in travel plans for many teams.
Albert Park will host the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, with most members of the 11-team grid scheduled to arrive in Melbourne early this week, ahead of the first practice session on Friday.
Airports across the Middle East have closed following US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and retaliatory strikes from Iranian forces.
British tabloid The Sun reported as many as 2,000 staffers heading to Melbourne needed to reorganise flights from their bases in Europe to avoid stopovers in the Middle East.
ABC Sport understands an estimated 500 F1 workers from Europe are expected to be flown in on three chartered flights.
But the travel hurdle is not expected to impact this weekend’s event, according to grand prix boss Travis Auld.
“The last 48 hours have required some reshuffling of flights. That is largely Formula 1’s responsibility,” Auld said during a press conference today.
“They take charge of the teams and the drivers and all the personnel that are required here to make this event happen, and there’s quite a number of them.
“My understanding from talking to them this morning, is that’s all now been locked in, everyone will be here ready for the race, and for fans, they won’t notice any difference.
“There are some drivers already in Australia, there are some team members already in Australia, but there are a number in UK and broadly throughout Europe that need to get here, so they’ve just had to find another way, so that’s been a process for them, and I’m sure it’s been a lot of work on their behalf.”
The unfolding conflict in the Middle East has reportedly left members of the McLaren and Mercedes teams stranded in Bahrain.
The cancellation of a two-day tyre test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir has left about 50 members of each team, and staffers from tyre manufacturer Pirelli, stuck in the Middle East, according to Sky Sport’s F1 reporter Craig Slater.
“They are still working on an exit strategy to get those people out (of Bahrain),” Slater reported on Monday, AEDT.
“They are working together, those two teams, to get those people back home.”
Melbourne will host the first of 24 rounds in this F1 season.
Action at Melbourne Park begins on Thursday, with the F1 drivers hitting the track on Friday for two practice sessions.
The Australian Grand Prix will be held at 3pm AEDT on Sunday, March 8.
